More than 300 South Korean nationals detained during an immigration raid at a Hyundai electric-vehicle plant in Georgia have begun challenging the United States government over their arrests, CNN reported on Tuesday.
The workers were among hundreds arrested by US authorities during the September 2025 operation at the Hyundai Motor plant in Georgia.
Most of those detained were South Korean nationals working at the facility.
According to CNN, administrative claims have been filed on behalf of the workers with nine federal agencies.
The claims are a compulsory step before the workers can pursue a lawsuit against the US government in federal court.
The agencies named in the claims include the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as the Departments of Justice and Labor.
The raid, which took place at a facility operated by a joint venture involving Hyundai Motor and South Korea’s LG Energy Solution, was described as the largest single-site enforcement operation in the history of the US Department of Homeland Security.
Images and videos showing some of the detained workers restrained at their wrists, waists and ankles sparked widespread concern in South Korea, a key US ally in Asia.
The workers also had their phones confiscated during the operation, leaving some unable to contact relatives in South Korea until they were eventually released.
Hyundai and the US Department of Homeland Security had not immediately responded to Reuters’ requests for comment outside regular business hours.
